Potential for agricultural exports

Potential for agricultural exports

Increasing the country's agricultural exports is one of the key targets of those responsible for economic policies in Egypt. The future depends on achieving a leap in exports, since these are a fundamental source of the foreign currency necessary for development.

The agricultural sector has the most potential to utilise Egypt's natural and human resources to supply the local market with its needs, generate job opportunities, and attract more domestic and foreign investment.

Egypt's agricultural strategy is also based on expanding and diversifying the production of crops, particularly fruit and vegetables, for export, since in these areas Egypt has a competitive edge in international markets.

The country's agricultural exports were valued at $821 million during the first quarter of 2019, up from $812 million during the same period of 2018. Egypt's agricultural exports also saw increasing international demand despite the Covid-19 outbreak.

Egypt exported 2.23 million tons of fruit and vegetables during the first quarter of 2020, rising to the first spot globally of countries exporting citrus fruit. Oranges topped the list of exports at 1.2 million tons to a value of $107 million, followed by 550,000 tons of potatoes in the first quarter of 2020 to a value of